A biopsy is a medical test commonly performed by a medical professional that involves the collection of tissue from a patient for closer examination to detect abnormalities, such as precancerous and cancerous cells. One type of common biopsy is a punch biopsy that collects a core of tissue from a patient. Currently this procedure generally involves a plurality of different medical instruments. More specifically, a handled circular blade is positioned at the location where the tissue sample is to be taken. The medical professional then applies pressure to the handle and manually rotates the handle to rotate the blade into the tissue sample. After the circular cut is made, the blade is removed and discarded. The medical professional then uses forceps in one hand to raise the anchored sample out of its cylindrical cavity. With the other hand the provider uses scissors to snip the elevated tissue at its tethered base to excise the sample. This process requires the doctor to use both hands and three instruments: blade, forceps, and scissors. Accordingly there is a need in the art to simplify this process, such that a doctor can utilize one instrument in one hand to collect the targeted tissue sample.
Prior art attempts to design a one handed biopsy cutting and collection device fail to address the problems solved by the embodiments disclosed herein. As one example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0178,699 “Biopsy Forceps” to Surti teaches forceps designed to grasp or tear at a sample as opposed to circularly cutting around and into the sample utilizing a rotational mechanism. The forceps taught by Surti was not designed to singlehandedly perform a barrel cut around the tissue sample and to snip the base of the sample. The device taught by Surti can lead to jagged edges and may compromise the histological integrity of the sample site. Utilizing a device operated by a single hand and capable of a core cut, and then elevating and snipping the sample is highly advantageous as it minimizes the use of operating assistants and allows the user to use his free hand for blotting the blood or retracting the tissue for better visualization. Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide a single biopsy device, operable by one hand that can perform a barrel cut, raise and snip the base of a tissue sample, and collect the sample, while preserving the histological integrity of the target site.